editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Cheryl Corley is an NPR correspondent who works for the National Desk and is based in Chicago. She travels throughout the Midwest covering issues and events throughout the region's 12 states. In recent years, Corley has reported on the campaign and re-election of President Barack Obama, on the efforts by Illinois officials to rethink the state's Juvenile Justice System, on youth violence in Chicago, and on political turmoil in the Illinois state government. She's reported on the infamous Trayvon Martin shooting case in Florida and covered tornadoes that have destroyed homes and claimed lives in Harrisburg, Illinois; small towns in Oklahoma; and Joplin, Missouri. In addition, Corley was among the group of NPR reporters covering the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as they tore through the Gulf Coast. She returned to the area, five years later, and joined the reporting team covering the impact of the BP oil spill. Corley also has served as a fill-in host for NPR shows,NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Cheryl CorleyWed, 17 Jan 2018 22:33:25 +0000Cheryl Corleyhttp://krwg.org
Cheryl CorleyA fatal police shooting in Kansas late last month focused attention again on how so-called swatting — prank 911 calls designed to get SWAT teams to deploy — puts lives at risk and burdens police departments. There are more than 7,000 911 centers in the U.S. and, according to the National Emergency Number Association, they receive about 600,000 calls a day. Authorities don't track swatting calls nationally, though the FBI has been monitoring the practice of those types of fake calls for about a decade. Now, police say revolutionary changes in the works for the system could make swatting an even bigger problem. Detective Richard Wistocki, an Internet crimes investigator in Naperville, Ill., says what often drives them is people playing video games trying to get revenge on rivals. "Usually when this happens they will hack into somebody's phone system or they'll do something through a TTY relay, which is for the deaf," he explains. They make it look like the emergency phone call is comingBig Tech Improvements To 911 System Raise The Risk Of More 'Swatting'http://krwg.org/post/big-tech-improvements-911-system-raises-risk-more-swatting
151872 as http://krwg.orgThu, 11 Jan 2018 22:13:00 +0000Big Tech Improvements To 911 System Raise The Risk Of More 'Swatting'Cheryl CorleyToday in Chicago, Judge Leroy Martin threw out the convictions of 15 men in what defense attorneys call a landmark decision and the "first mass exoneration" in Cook County. The men, who all served prison terms, claim they were framed by former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts and officers under his command. One of the men, Leonard Gipson, spent four years in prison and says Watts would demand money and then drugs on a person and arrest them if he was not paid. Four years ago, Watts was convicted of extorting money from a drug dealer who turned out to be an FBI informant. Prosecutors in the Cook County State's Attorney office said after reviewing the cases of the 15 men, the office didn't have confidence in the police reports and testimony. They asked the court to throw those cases out and said they are looking into several more that are tied to Watts' command. Defense attorneys with the University of Chicago's Exoneration Project filed a petition last spring asking for the cases to beChicago Judge Throws Out 15 Convictions On Fears Police Reports Were Dishonesthttp://krwg.org/post/chicago-judge-throws-out-15-convictions-fears-police-reports-were-dishonest
148558 as http://krwg.orgFri, 17 Nov 2017 00:24:00 +0000Chicago Judge Throws Out 15 Convictions On Fears Police Reports Were DishonestCheryl CorleyIn Chicago, an odd mix of brazen action by detainees in jail and declining budgets is keeping public defenders from talking to their clients in the lockup areas behind county courtrooms. Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli says this will continue until authorities can find a way to stop some of the men in custody from exposing themselves to female attorneys. Campanelli says the majority — 60 percent — of the assistant public defenders in her office are women who often talk to clients in the lockup areas before they're brought into the courtroom. But, increasingly, there's been a problem. "And it's not the client they are talking to," she explains. "It's another inmate over to the side ... exposes themselves, pull downs their pants, sometimes goes further than that. It's disgusting, it's awful and my lawyers are being assaulted. It's an assault." Since January, more than 200 detainees have been charged with indecent exposure. Most of those incidents involve correctional officersIn Chicago, Female Public Defenders Want Men In Lockup To Keep It In Their Pantshttp://krwg.org/post/chicago-female-public-defenders-want-men-lockup-keep-it-their-pants
147852 as http://krwg.orgMon, 06 Nov 2017 18:21:00 +0000In Chicago, Female Public Defenders Want Men In Lockup To Keep It In Their PantsCheryl CorleyIf you've ever called 911 to report an emergency, thank the Johnson Crime Commission. Establishing a national emergency number was just one of more than 200 recommendations the Commission offered up in a landmark 1967 report "for a safer and more just society." Two years earlier, President Lyndon Johnson had appointed lawyers, educators, law enforcement officers, social workers and others – 19 members in all — to the group officially called the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. The 1960s was a turbulent decade, and crime had been a major concern. Johnson told the group he was spearheading a new "war on crime," and he wanted them to be revolutionary in their recommendations. Over 18 months, the Crime Commission, including 63 staffers and hundreds of consultants and advisers, collected data and studied everything from juvenile delinquency to organized crime. The final report, " The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society ," called for sweeping changesPresident Johnson's Crime Commission Report, 50 Years Laterhttp://krwg.org/post/president-johnsons-crime-commission-report-50-years-later
145972 as http://krwg.orgFri, 06 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +0000President Johnson's Crime Commission Report, 50 Years LaterCheryl CorleyNPR reporters are returning home this summer to see how the places they grew up have changed — from the economy to schools to how people see their community and country. Once proudly called the "Gateway to the South Suburbs" of Chicago, Harvey, Illinois used to be a blue-collar powerhouse. Dozens of manufacturers used to employ thousands of workers. But ever since the factories closed and other businesses left town, it's been a long fall for Harvey. Today, the village is struggling to survive. I spent most of my adolescence in Harvey. I really had not visited since graduating from high school in the 1970s, and my return was bitter sweet. By 1960 nearly 30,000 people lived in Harvey — a number that remained firm throughout the 2000 census. Today's population is about 25,000 and more than a third of the village's residents live below the poverty line. The median income is under $14,000. The village's challenges also include a dwindling tax base and high levels of unemployment and crime.Once A Blue-Collar Powerhouse, A Chicago Suburb Now Faces A Dim Futurehttp://krwg.org/post/once-blue-collar-powerhouse-chicago-suburb-now-faces-dim-future
144245 as http://krwg.orgWed, 06 Sep 2017 20:58:00 +0000Once A Blue-Collar Powerhouse, A Chicago Suburb Now Faces A Dim FutureCheryl CorleyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: If you are in the market to buy or rent an exclusive luxury condo, there might be some motivated sellers in Chicago. There are a lot of condos for sale there at the Trump International Hotel and Tower. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports that market forces and divisive politics could both be factors. CHERYL CORLEY, BYLINE: On Wabash Avenue in Chicago, right near the Chicago River, Trump Tower rises more than 1,000 feet into the sky. It's a shimmering structure of glass and steel with panoramic views of the city. Luxury is definitely a part of the building's DNA, so is controversy, even from its very beginning. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PATTY DESTEFANI: Too much glass and chrome. TOM DESTEFANI: I don't think the lines fit with the rest of the area. And I'm just not thrilled about anything with Donald Trump's name attached to it in Chicago in the first place. CORLEY: That was Chicagoans Patty and Tom Destefani walking by theSales Are Slow For Trump Condos In Chicagohttp://krwg.org/post/sales-are-slow-trump-condos-chicago
140365 as http://krwg.orgTue, 04 Jul 2017 20:48:00 +0000Sales Are Slow For Trump Condos In ChicagoCheryl CorleyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Public service announcement - Mother's Day is tomorrow. Cue up the usual - flowers or breakfast in bed. Then there's the plan hatched by a coalition of activists focused on racial and criminal justice issues. They teamed up to raise bail money for mothers behind bars to bail out women who might otherwise spend Mother's Day in jail. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports. CHERYL CORLEY, BYLINE: There's been a sharp increase in the number of women behind bars in this country, rising to more than a million since the 1980s. About 100,000 of them are locked up in jails waiting for their day in court. Rashad Robinson is the head of Color of Change, one of several organizations that teamed up to raise money for what they're calling National Mama Bail Out Day (ph). And Robinson says Mother's Day is the right time to examine how race, class and gender play a role in the criminal justice system. RASHAD ROBINSON: And these women on Mother's DayFor Some Moms, Posting Bail Means They Can Spend Mother's Day With Their Familieshttp://krwg.org/post/some-moms-posting-bail-means-they-can-spend-mothers-day-their-families
137199 as http://krwg.orgSat, 13 May 2017 22:52:00 +0000For Some Moms, Posting Bail Means They Can Spend Mother's Day With Their FamiliesCheryl CorleyThe design for the Obama Presidential Center was unveiled Wednesday at an event attended by former President Obama and Michelle Obama. The Center, slated to be completed in 2021, will be located in the Jackson Park neighborhood of Chicago's South side and it will include three buildings — a museum, forum and library that surround a public plaza. The buildings will be made up of variegated stone with glass openings to allow for natural light and be certified at LEED v4 Platinum for resource efficiency and sustainability. The Obamas are in Chicago Wednesday to unveil the library and host a roundtable discussion on the future of the Center. By planning more than one building, the Obama Foundation says it hopes the Center will be a "living, working center for engagement — an ongoing project for the community and world to shape what it means to be an active citizen in the 21st century." "The Obamas want to create a safe, warm, inviting place that brings people in, teaches them something newObama Presidential Center Design Unveiledhttp://krwg.org/post/obama-presidential-center-design-unveiled
136538 as http://krwg.orgWed, 03 May 2017 18:50:00 +0000Obama Presidential Center Design UnveiledCheryl CorleyA century ago, it was one of the biggest names in retail. Now, even Sears officials say its future could be in doubt — though they say they have plans to make sure the retail icon survives. Nancy Koehn with the Harvard Business School says that in its early days, Sears Roebuck and Co. was like Amazon is today — a retailer of great disruption. For Sears, it meant a path-breaking strategy of offering all sorts of merchandise in catalogs and building department stores in remote places with ample parking. "It wasn't the Internet, but it was the same idea that no matter where you are you can touch and feel and imagine what these different products could mean in your life by virtue of an outreach, a distribution channel that an imaginative and gutsy retailer — in this case Sears — had created and then invested in and then enlarged," Koehn says. Elgin, Ill., about 40 miles northwest of Chicago, is one town where Sears' innovation is clearly visible. Drive through the streets of oneIts Survival In Doubt, Sears Struggles To Transform Once Againhttp://krwg.org/post/its-survival-doubt-sears-struggles-transform-once-again
135555 as http://krwg.orgTue, 18 Apr 2017 11:40:00 +0000Its Survival In Doubt, Sears Struggles To Transform Once AgainCheryl CorleyAs gun violence continues to plague some of Chicago's neighborhoods, a violence prevention program is looking to tackle the issue by treating it like a public health crisis. Chicago's murder rate is below that of other cities, but the actual number of murders in the city last year — most from gun violence — exceeded the combined total of murders in New York City and Los Angeles. Cure Violence , a violence prevention program, was launched more than 20 years ago by epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, a professor of public health at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The program has been a force in several cities in U.S. and abroad. It gained national attention with the 2011 release of a documentary called The Interrupters , which showed former gang members intervening to prevent disputes from turning deadly. In Illinois, the Cure Violence organization is called CeaseFire . Slutkin says violence is a public health problem and should be treated like any other contagious disease. "The root causeTreat Gun Violence Like A Public Health Crisis, One Program Sayshttp://krwg.org/post/treat-gun-violence-public-health-crisis-one-program-says
133003 as http://krwg.orgWed, 08 Mar 2017 22:26:00 +0000Treat Gun Violence Like A Public Health Crisis, One Program SaysCheryl CorleyStopping and questioning citizens is a routine police activity but it's also controversial, especially in communities of color where frisking can quickly follow the questions, and the relationship between police and residents can be tense. Today, the ACLU filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee charging that the police department conducts a "vast stop-and-frisk program" that is unconstitutional and targets black and Latino people. The lawsuit describes six black and Latino plaintiffs as innocent people who were doing nothing wrong — they were walking to a friend's house, visiting family, pulling into a gas station and walking home from campus. It also states that at various times, each of the six was either stopped, or stopped and frisked, by police who offered little if any explanation about why they were being detained. The lawsuit alleges each plaintiff was subject to intrusive questioning, made to suffer the humiliation and indignity of being wrongfully branded aLawsuit Accuses Milwaukee Police Of Abusive Stop And Frisk Practiceshttp://krwg.org/post/lawsuit-accuses-milwaukee-police-abusive-stop-and-frisk-practices
132135 as http://krwg.orgThu, 23 Feb 2017 03:46:00 +0000Lawsuit Accuses Milwaukee Police Of Abusive Stop And Frisk PracticesCheryl CorleyAs immigrant communities across the U.S. watch the battle over President Trump's administration ban, there is also concern among some scientists and medical groups. They say there should be a welcoming atmosphere for the thousands of international researchers and students who attend conferences every year in the U.S. and help shape medical and technical advances. Many scientific, academic and medical groups signed onto a letter urging the president to rescind his original immigration executive order. The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society, is part of the group. This week, it's holding its annual conference in Boston. "We typically have about 5,000 scientists from all over the world," says spokesperson Tiffany Lohwater. Lohwater says more than 50 countries are represented at the annual meeting. She fears the restrictions favored by the president would not only disrupt lives and careers but could also stifle scientificScientific Conference Planners Concerned About Immigration Policyhttp://krwg.org/post/scientific-conference-planners-concerned-about-immigration-policy
131861 as http://krwg.orgFri, 17 Feb 2017 21:34:00 +0000Scientific Conference Planners Concerned About Immigration PolicyCheryl CorleyAlgonquin, Ill., is a Republican stronghold. The growing town of 28,000 is about an hour's drive northwest of Chicago in McHenry County, the only one of six in the metro area to vote for President Trump. At Short Stacks, a small diner on Main Street, Ginger Underwood sits at a table with her two adult daughters. She voted for Donald Trump and says that, so far, she is glad she did. "I think Trump is doing exactly what he said he was going to do when he ran for office," she says. "So that's fine with me, that he's doing what he's doing." It's been 12 days since Trump was sworn into office and between a flurry of executive actions and his choice for the U.S. Supreme Court, it has been a whirlwind of activity. Underwood, who does volunteer work for a local environmental group, says she has no worries about the pace of executive actions during Trump's first days — and, in fact, likes them all. But she does say she wishes the president would be more, as she says, tactful, when he doesTrump Supporters Cheer Quick Starts On Campaign Promises In His First Weekshttp://krwg.org/post/trump-supporters-cheer-quick-starts-campaign-promises-his-first-weeks
130753 as http://krwg.orgThu, 02 Feb 2017 05:43:44 +0000Trump Supporters Cheer Quick Starts On Campaign Promises In His First WeeksCheryl CorleyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: It's a little more than a year since the city of Chicago released video showing a white police officer shooting a black teenager, Laquan McDonald, 16 times. Protesters poured into the streets after the long-delayed release of the video, and they called for reforms. Today, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch went to Chicago to discuss the Justice Department's year-long investigation into the city's police department. NPR's Cheryl Corley reports. CHERYL CORLEY, BYLINE: Chicago is the latest city to have its police department come under the close scrutiny of the Justice Department following a controversial fatal encounter between police and a citizen. In 2014, 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was shot 16 times by a white police officer, but it took a court order for the city to release the police video. That officer has since been charged with murder. Today, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the Justice Department had interviewedDOJ Report On Chicago Police Finds 'Pattern Of Excessive Force'http://krwg.org/post/doj-report-chicago-police-finds-pattern-excessive-force
129536 as http://krwg.orgFri, 13 Jan 2017 21:41:00 +0000DOJ Report On Chicago Police Finds 'Pattern Of Excessive Force'Cheryl CorleyPresident Obama's adopted hometown of Chicago is often the stage for pivotal moments in his career. He claimed victory in Chicago in 2008 and again in 2012. And it's where he will give his farewell address on Tuesday night. Many Chicagoans use the word "pride" when talking about Barack Obama. You can hear it in their voices. In this city, where President-elect Donald Trump got only 12 percent of the vote, admiration for President Obama is strong. Kim Chisholm stood with thousands of others in the bitter cold this weekend to get a ticket to Obama's speech. "I'm so excited," she says. "History in the making. I never made it to the White House, but I will see him here in Chicago." Chicago officials say there are pluses and minuses to having such close ties to the Obama administration. On Monday, the city won a federal grant for nearly $1 billion to upgrade a major portion of the city's elevated commuter rail line. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama's first White House chief of staff, worked toBefore Farewell Speech, Chicagoans Reflect On President Obama's Legacyhttp://krwg.org/post/farewell-speech-chicagoans-reflect-president-obamas-legacy
129315 as http://krwg.orgWed, 11 Jan 2017 00:20:00 +0000Before Farewell Speech, Chicagoans Reflect On President Obama's LegacyCheryl CorleyThe end of 2016 marked a grim milestone in Chicago. More than 4,000 people were shot over the course of the year, and 762 people were homicide victims , according to the Chicago Tribune. Those numbers are higher than the totals of New York and Los Angeles combined. To be clear, other cities, like New Orleans and Detroit, had higher rates of gun violence and murder on a per capita basis . But nowhere were the sheer, raw numbers as staggering as they were in Chicago. NPR's Michel Martin spoke with a variety of voices in Chicago — those who have been personally affected by the violence; people who have been involved in it themselves, and officials at the federal and local level who are trying to fix it. The story that emerged was one of frustration, and fear, with no clear silver bullet toward fixing the problem. But there's also a sense of hope, even from those who have suffered the deepest. Illinois Congressman Danny Davis remembers exactly where he was when he got the phone call just aChicagoans, Ex-Gang Members, Officials: 'No Easy Way To Stop The Violence'http://krwg.org/post/chicagoans-ex-gang-members-officials-no-easy-way-stop-violence
129199 as http://krwg.orgMon, 09 Jan 2017 00:39:00 +0000Chicagoans, Ex-Gang Members, Officials: 'No Easy Way To Stop The Violence'Cheryl CorleyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: We are spending the hour on an issue that we believe concerns Americans from across the political spectrum. We're talking about violence, especially gun violence. Needless to say, the attack at Fort Lauderdale International Airport yesterday has focused our attention on this again. Five people were killed and several others wounded by a former Army reservist who struggled with mental illness according to his family. But we are going to focus our conversations today on a place that's been forced to confront violence on a daily basis. We are talking about Chicago. More than 4,000 people were shot in Chicago last year. More than 700 people were killed there. There were more murders in Chicago last year than in New York and Los Angeles combined. And the new year has not brought respite. We're going to hear from a variety of voices - former gang members, public officials, including the head of the Chicago police, survivors andGun Deaths In Chicago: Why Is This Happening?http://krwg.org/post/gun-deaths-chicago-why-happening
129152 as http://krwg.orgSat, 07 Jan 2017 23:02:00 +0000Gun Deaths In Chicago: Why Is This Happening?Cheryl Corleyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBZPCDqymyo Deadly encounters between police and civilians often made 2016 a year full of palpable tension. Across the country, demonstrators took to the streets to protest police shootings, while at the same time officers in a number of states were targeted and killed by gunmen. Both situations have prompted law enforcement to examine use-of-force policies. Early next year, the FBI will take the first steps in developing a national database to track police shootings. Currently, the country's 18,000 police departments report crime information voluntarily, so media outlets and academics such as Philip Stinson, a criminologist at Bowling Green State University, work to create their own comprehensive list of police shootings. "My best estimate is that about 1,000 times a year an on-duty police officer shoots and kills someone," he says. Stinson says prosecutors consider most of those cases legally justified and few officers face charges. Even so, severalIn 2016, Violence Pervaded Policing On Both Ends Of The Gunhttp://krwg.org/post/2016-violence-pervaded-policing-both-ends-gun
128524 as http://krwg.orgMon, 26 Dec 2016 21:25:00 +0000In 2016, Violence Pervaded Policing On Both Ends Of The GunCheryl CorleyWith Donald Trump's choices for secretaries of transportation and of housing and urban development — Elaine Chao and Dr. Ben Carson, respectively — there may be hints about the urban agenda Trump's administration may be shaping. Some big-city mayors say they're worried about potential cuts in federal funding that candidate Trump warned about on the stump, and they are reaching out to the president-elect. They say they have plenty of ideas they want to share about the country's cities. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff to President Obama, met Wednesday with Trump, at Trump's invitation. It gave Emanuel a chance to hand-deliver a letter from mayors of some of the country's largest cities. The letter asks Trump to continue the Obama administration policy that prevents the deportation of so-called DREAMers — young immigrants who came to the United States before they were 16 years old and so named for meeting the requirements under the Development, Relief and Education forFrom Immigration To Infrastructure, Big-City Mayors Draw Up Wish List For Trumphttp://krwg.org/post/immigration-infrastructure-big-city-mayors-draw-wish-list-trump
127508 as http://krwg.orgThu, 08 Dec 2016 23:14:00 +0000From Immigration To Infrastructure, Big-City Mayors Draw Up Wish List For TrumpCheryl CorleyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: Demonstrators have been out in force all across the country today protesting the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The federal government halted construction of the pipeline yesterday, saying it needed to study it more. And today the company building the pipeline has gone to court in an effort to finish the project. NPR's Cheryl Corley is with us from Bismarck, N.D. Hi there, Cheryl. CHERYL CORLEY, BYLINE: Hi. How are you? MCEVERS: Good. So tell us. What are the protesters - what are they saying that they want? CORLEY: Well, you know, this is a protest that has been going on for quite a while now. And what they want essentially is for the pipeline to be stopped, for it not to exist. And it's all about water, oil and heritage. The Dakota Access Pipeline would run through four states. It would hook up to an existing pipeline in Illinois. And the company building it, Energy Transfer, says the pipeline is just a moreDemonstrations Continue At The Dakota Access Pipelinehttp://krwg.org/post/demonstrations-continue-dakota-access-pipeline
126190 as http://krwg.orgTue, 15 Nov 2016 21:32:00 +0000Demonstrations Continue At The Dakota Access Pipeline